Improvement in envelope-openers



A. KLINE.

' Envelope Openers.

No.,y 133,783.. i APanama[590.1011871 WIT'NESESQ .www1/m@ 'NVENTOR'- yam-aw Mokum @M y Nrrn STATES ABRAHAM KLINE, OF MANHEIM, PENNSYLVANIA.

eMPRovEMENTm ENvELoPE-QPENERS..

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,783, dated DecemberlO, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM KLINE, of Manheim, in the county of Lancaster and State of-Iennsylvania, have invented a certain Improved Envelope-Opener, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to the construction and combined arrangement of a flat horizontal #platform or base and plate, in connection with a vertical stop for supporting'and stopping the envelope when the latter is laid upon the platform and plate with its edge abuttingagainst the stop, and a rocking block with a like-curved cutter-plate fixed to its side in such'a manner that when the said cutter- 4block is firmly pressed downward and rocked upon the upper edge of the stop, the edge of the cutter-plate will move along between and in close contact with both the edge of the plate and the side of thestop, and thus shear off the edge of the envelope which is in contact with the side of the stop, the separated edge of the former falling into an open recess made for the purpose immediately below the l plate, the envelope having been thus opened with the plate B, which is of sheet metal,

and the stop C, which is also of hard wood, secured to the plate end of the platform by means of screws b b and c c,'and the recess l) beneath .the plate `B arranged along between the platform A and the stop G. The cutter E, which is also made of sheet metal, is fixed by means of screws e e to the face side of the cutter-block F, which latter is curved like a chair-rocker at its under edge, (see dotted line c,) and the cutting-edge of E is concentric with the curved edge of theblock F, andprojects downward sufficiently far below the curved edge of F to pass below the edge of the plate B into the groove D without coming in contact with the bottom of said groove,

when the curved edge'of F is applied and rockeddirectly upon the upper edge of the stop C, either the latter or the plate B being previously adjusted and fixed to the platform A so as to leave only a sufficient space between them for the cutter-plate E to be moved between, and at the same time be kept in 'close frictional contact with both as the block F is being rocked forward and backward upon the stop C.

In operating the machine to open an envelope, the latter, x, is placed Yupon the platform A, and with its edge which is to be cut open kept by one hand of the operator abutting against the side face of the stop C, while with his other hand grasping and pressing downward upon the cutter-block F he rocks it forward, and thus cuts a narrow strip oif from the envelope, thus opening the latter at that edge, and in like manner to rem ove strips from either of the other three edges, if he wish to separate the face and back. If one side and both ends be cut in the same manner the face and back will open outward, and thus produce a blank sheet for use for scribbling or ti gurin g upon, and thus utilizing the cut envelope.

Instead of constructing the invention partly of Vwood and sheet metal, as described, the platform, groove, and stop may be cast of iron, and the plate B of sheet metal, adjustably secured thereto by screws and oval or oblong slots in the plate, and so, also, the-cut- `provided with a handle or lever for operating it but the simple construction rst described and shown in the drawing I prefer, because it is less costly and equally efficient for the purpose of opening envelopes.

I claim as my invention- An envelope-opener, consisting of the platform A, plate B, stop C, groove D, and rock-V ing-cutter F E, the said parts being con- .A

structed, arranged, and combined to operate together, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and described.

ABRAHAM KLINE. Witnesses:

BENJ. MoRIsoN, WM. H. Momsou. 

